Interview & Give-away! Carol Baldwin tells the Whole Truth

by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome Back from your Summer Explorations!

This week GROG has invited Carol Baldwin to share her experiences writing a historical novel. Plus we have a book give-away. So read on...

Carol has published articles for children and nonfiction books for adults. This spring her debut YA novel hit bookstore shelves. Half-Truths (Monarch Educational Services,  April 2025) is a historical novel that takes readers back to 1950. The main character is 15-year old Kate Dinsmore, who lives (and works) on her family’s tobacco farm in rural North Carolina. But Kate has dreams of a future far beyond the tobacco fields. She wants to become a journalist, and the editor for the local paper encourages her to follow her dream.

Kate decides that to get to college where she can study journalism, she’ll need the financial support of her wealthy grandparents. So, she crafts a plan to live with them in Charlotte, only to discover that there’s more to high society than going to school and getting good grades. She’s expected to attend lessons in the social graces so she can become a debutante. Meanwhile, and despite their racial differences, she forms a tentative friendship with Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid. When Kate discovers an old family photo while exploring her grandmother's attic, she unearths a secret that will not only threaten her friendship with Lillian and her status with her new society friends, but will cause her to question whether she has what it takes to be a true journalist.

This is a perfect book for kids who love stories but say they don’t love history. It’s a story that will get kids thinking (and perhaps talking) about racial discrimination, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), racial violence, injustice, and societal norms. And, even though Carol started working on this story 18 years ago, it’s a great springboard for discussion about what’s happening in our country at this time. So, I was happy that Carol accepted my invitation to chat on the GROG about her writing…

Me: What inspired this story?

Carol: I give a lot of credit to Joyce Moyer Hostetter for encouraging me to discover a story in my own backyard. [Joyce writes middle grade historical fiction] I live in Charlotte, but I didn’t grow up in the South and I wondered what life was like back before the Civil Rights movement. I started digging for stories, asking questions like: Where were the old plantations and graveyards? Who were the debutante girls of 1950? I wanted to know about the history that is under our streets. Meanwhile, I had this idea in the back of my head that I wanted to write about a girl who moves from a farm to Charlotte and into a higher social class. 

Me: I imagine you did a lot of research to lay the groundwork for this story. 

Carol: One of the reasons it took me 18 years to write this book is that I enjoy meeting people and talking to them. When I started, there was so much I didn’t know so I took myself on a self-guided African American Heritage tour.* I interviewed as many folks as I could, including former debutantes, Korean War veterans, and people who picked tobacco as kids, and many more—about 100 altogether!

*go to http://landmarkscommission.org/local-history/driving-and-walking-tours/ 

then click on "African-American Heritage Tour."

I remember visiting a community center that had been a former Rosenwald school, and looking at photos on the wall. Seeing the people in the photos triggered an idea that the girls could have been related. In my conversation with Vermelle Diamond Ely, we talked about how she knew light-skinned Black girls who had passed. I considered including that as part of Lillian’s story, but ultimately decided against it. 

I was excited to discover that the Blue Willow china that is featured in my book, was a popular pattern at the time. There’s a story painted on the china, and I was able to incorporate that story into my own story. I happen to love stories within stories, and there are several in Half-Truths.

Me: How did you manage to keep focused on your story over all those years?

Carol: I definitely went off track a couple times. At one point I had Lillian’s brother dying from a racially motivated incident. Then I realized that had nothing to do with the heart of my story. I spent two years writing the book from both girls’ points of view per an editor’s suggestion. Although it definitely helped me see my story through Lillian’s eyes, I went back to the original idea of writing it from Kate’s POV. 

As for the research, I wanted to make my story authentic. But that tendency to over-research became part of the problem, and in the end, there were stories that didn’t make it into my book. One thing I did to keep me focused on the kernel of my story was to remind myself that Half-Truths is about the relationship between the two girls, Kate and Lillian. If I were to give writerly advice, it would be this: Research wide, but keep in mind the focus of your story so that readers can say, ‘this book is about ___.’ In my case, the book is about a White girl and a Black girl who discover they are second cousins while coming to grips with who they are as young women in the 1950s.

Me: What’s next for you?

Carol: I’m working on another historical novel set in the late 1800s. It’s the story of Kate’s paternal grandfather who is a glassblower’s apprentice. I’ve already done some research on glassblowing – including a hands-on experience in a workshop in Charlotte. As much as I relish diving into the research, I’ll try to be mindful to stay focused on the story!

You can catch a glimpse of Carol’s new project at her blogpost here (which is where I grabbed this photo!)

Thank you so much, Carol. And now, for everyone who’s managed to stick with us this far, go find a story in your backyard. It might be history … or it might be (like so many of mine) about something in your garden! 

You can find out more about Carol, her books, and workshops on her website, carolbalwinbooks.com

enter the GIVE-AWAY! 

Carol is giving away an autographed copy of Half-Truths to one lucky person. You need to live in the US to be eligible. Simply leave a comment before August 26th to be entered! Make sure you include your name somewhere in the comment if you want to be entered in the drawing. We’re doing the drawing old-school, in a manner that Kate and Lillian would be familiar with: putting names in a hat and drawing a winner. Winner will be announced in the first September post, with instructions on how to claim your book! 

Tackling Tough Topics . . . With Picture Books -- by Christy Mihaly

Boston Public Library: Illustration
by Jessie Wilcox Smith
from Wikimedia

Many parents and caregivers turn to books to help children understand and face new challenges, from the first day of school to the birth of a new sibling. Books can be especially comforting when a child confronts a frightening experience. I remember my four-year-old self, before my tonsillectomy, asking my parents to read and re-read a book about a child undergoing this surgery. (The main point as I recall it was that, after the operation, one eats a great deal of ice cream.)

Today, there are children's books on many tough topics, even for the very young.

Where to find these books? 

The library, of course.

I asked Nicole, my children’s librarian, to help me identify appropriate books for small children dealing with difficult issues. 

She directed me to the Parenting Shelf in the children’s section. There, interspersed with parenting guides and books for divorcing parents, parents of special needs children, and so forth, was shelved a diverse selection of picture books, designed for adults to share with kids. I checked out a pile.

What a range of topics! 

There are picture books about: 

Death: 

The death of a pet, a family member, a friend

These books help children understand what death is, and how we grieve. They can help kids talk about, and work through, the loss of a loved one.

Divorce and Separation

Many picture books aim to help kids understand that their parents still love them, even though they aren't together -- and it's not the children's fault!

Depression and other family mental health issues 

When a parent suffers from depression or other mental or emotional conditions, the child may be suffering too. Books can offer explanations and start conversations. 

A parent in prison

The pain of a child whose parent is absent because he's in prison, the potential for shame and embarrassment, and the joy of visiting day are treated in these and other books for young kids.

Serious illness: of the child, or a parent or friend

Picture books feature characters coping with range of illnesses, from diabetes to chicken pox to cancer. In some, a child is ill, in others, it's a friend or family member. 

The Famous Hat --
A story book to help children with childhood cancer to prepare for treatment, namely chemotherapy, and losing their hair

Physical differences: eyeglasses, hearing aids, disabilities

There are books to help a child deal with, and discuss, disabilities and adaptive technologies from eyeglasses to wheelchairs and beyond.

Post-traumatic stress

This picture book is written for children, ages 4-8, who have witnessed violence or trauma (from an accident to domestic violence to war). It explains the physical symptoms, and the terror, that a child can experience, and suggests how to talk about what happened. Yes, it's tragic that such a book is needed. But how wonderful that it's available, to comfort a child who needs it.

There are more books on other tough topics, including these: 

• Developmental differences
• Drug or alcohol abuse (in the family)
• Visits to doctors, dentists, hospitals
• Dealing with shyness and other anxieties
• Adoption
• A parent in the military going to war

The right book can be hard to find, and quality may vary. Even if a book appears relevant, it's not always appropriate for a particular child and situation. The parent or caregiver should preview a tough-topic book before reading it to the child, and pay close attention during the reading. How much content is the child is ready for? Does the book appear to worry her? You'll know it's a keeper if she says:

 "Read that again!"

Note to picture book writers: 

Do you want to write a book about one of these tough topics, or do you see a need not addressed by the titles listed here? Does one of the pictured books inspire you to write your own, updating an old classic theme or providing a modern perspective for today’s youngsters? 

Some of these books are by mainstream publishers; others are published by nonprofit organizations or specialized presses. If there's a topic you're particularly interested in, or familiar with, consider contacting an appropriate organization with your book idea. Perhaps one day your tough-topic picture book will have a child begging, "Read it again!"